DAY TWENTY-FIVE COOKING COURSE

 I was very organized in the kitchen today.  I finished up the last two Italian dishes (besides my nemesis Pizza). First, I put together Pici Pasta I got from the freezer and topped it with Pomodoro sauce that I made last week.  

It tasted better than when I first made the pasta.  I think I cooked it longer this time.

Then I cooked some frozen Gnocchi I made a few weeks ago and put some Trapanese Pesto on it with some lemon zest.  I have to say the lemon zest really pulled the dish together.

I then switched to the German chapter.  I need to get ready for my Christmas feast.  I immediately mixed together the necessary spices for the different dishes. To do this I had to use a pestle.  I was grinding and grinding some of the spices.  Luckily in the USA many of our spices are sold already ground up.

I needed to make a Vegetable Fond.  That is a fancy way of saying a vegetable stock.  I threw a bunch of vegetables, spices, and herbs in a pot and simmered that for an hour.  

Once it was done the fond smelled so good.  I am going to use some of it to make a Vegetable Jus tomorrow.

Since I am making baked potatoes Friday, of course I needed to make Herb Butter to put on the potatoes.  So I put a bunch of herbs and spices in the food processor and made herb butter. This is not the most enticing photo but it tastes amazing.

That was the end of the cooking for the day.  It was enough.

I wanted to show the cute bags that I made to give away all the cookies and chocolates to my friends and neighbors. 

Aren't they cute?  I haven't gotten any feedback except from my guinea pig/ dog walker who said he loved the cookies because they weren't too sweet.  

A very nice neighbor dropped off some sweets for me.  It was so nice.  All day he was texting me asking me this neighbors' name and that neighbors' name.  I was wondering why he was asking but it wasn't my place to ask. I figure if he wanted me to know he would tell me.  He did tonight when he dropped off my bag.  I was just about to call him to come get his bag when he stopped by.  It all worked out.

Tomorrow is another day of cooking and getting ready for the Christmas feast.  Tomorrows cooking is supposed to be Quiche Lorraine and Chocolate Mousse.  Cross your fingers.

Until tomorrow...